Improved process for removing mineral, gummy



UNITED. STATES Aren't OFFICE.

ANTONIO MEUCCI, OF CLIFTON, ASSIGNOR 'ro WM. RIDER, oF NnwYonK,

mrrovzn PROCESS FOR REMOVING MINERAL, GUMMY, AND RESINOUS SUBSTANCESFROM VEGETABLE FIBER.

- S ecification forming partof Letters latent No. 47,668, dated March28, 1865.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, ANTONIO MEUOCI, ofClifton, in the county of RichmonQand State of New York, have inventedcertain new and,

useful Improvements in the Process of Removing the Mineral, Gummy, andBesinous Substances from Vegetable Material, (for which Letters Patent,No. 44,7 35, were granted to me the 18th day of October, 1864;) and I declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of mysaid improvements.

My present improvement consists in treating the vegetable materials,first, while in a dry state, with the gases produced by the action ofEnitro-muriatic acid upon iron and carbonate of lime, or theirequivalents; second, while in a wet state, with the same gases; and,third,

with a caustic alkali, these threeoperations constituting one compoundprocess.

My improvement consists, further, in treating the vegetable materialsubjected to the first two of the above-recited operations with amixture of caustic alkali and oil, the effect of which is to giveelasticity to the fiber produced.

In order to practice this process, I make use of a vat to contain thevegetable material, and

-a gasgenerator to generate the gas. The vat may be a cylindrical vesselfitted with a perforated cover, and with a perforated diaphragm at ashort distance above its bottom to hold the vegetable material. The vatshould also be provided with'a cover which fits it tightly, andwhich maybe substituted for the perforated cover. This vat should either be madeof some material which is not affected materially by cinity of thegrating for the purpose of introducing the acid, andwith a pipeconnecting its upper part with the vat beneath the perforated diaphragmthereof, so as to conduct the gases from the generator to the under sideof the diaphragm of the vat. If wood be the vegetable material to betreated, Isaw it crosswise I to the grain into pieces about three inchesthick, and then split it in the direction of the grain into pieces ofabout the size of matchsplints. The split wood, which, if not alreadydry, should be dried by stoving it, is placed in the vatupon theperforated diaphragm and is covered with the perforated'cover. Thegasgenerator is charged with oyster-shells or other form of carbonate oflime, and suificient water is introduced to cover them. The acid is thenpoured little by little into the funnel-pipe, and the mixture of gasesproduced by the action of the acid upon the oyster-shells and the ironof the grating passes through the connectingpipe to the under side ofthe mass of dry split wood and rises among it. This operation ordry-gasing of the material .is continued until the gas begins to escapeat the perforations of the cover of the vat. Then waterat thetemperature of the atmosphere is poured into the vat until the wood iscovered. The tight cover is then applied to the vat, and theintroduction of the gases from the generator is continued, so that thewood is subjected, while wet, to the action of the gases, and thiswet-gasing iscontinued until the-wood becomes yellow throughout itsentire substance, the result being better the longer the wood issubjected to this second operation. The wood is then withdrawn from thevat and is drained of the liquid, after which it is steamed until itbecomes tender, this operation being conveniently effected by placing itin a covered vat and admitting steam from a steam-boiler. After it issteamed it is wet with the caustic alkali, or with the compound of thecaustic alkali and oil, and is crushed in an ordinary putty-milluntil'it is reduced to a fibrous mass, the wetting with alkali beingcontinued during the crushing.

The fibrous material produced by the above operations should be wellwashed with water, to free it, as much aspossible, from the alkali. Ifit is required to be white, it should be bleached with chlorine in thefollowing manner: The

,fiber is steeped and stirred in a solution of muriatic acid in water inthe proportion of from two to five parts of acid to one hundredflofwater. A solution of chloride oflimc in the pro portion of from one tolive pounds of chloride to one hundred pounds of water, in water, is

gradually added, the stirring being continued during this operation. Thefibrous material, when sufficiently bleached by these operations, isdrained, washed in water, drained of water, pressed, and dried for use;or, if required, it may be used in the wet state;

The nitro-muriatic acid employed by me'witli success in practicing theabove process is a mixture of four parts, by weight, of commercialnitric acid of 24 of Baumes hydrometer with one part, by weight, ofcommercial muriatic acid of 20 of Banms hydrometer.

The caustic alkali used by me with success is a solution of caustic sodain water of from. 2 to 5 of Baums hydroineter, and when oil isused thealkaline solution is mixed with three per cent. of a non-drying oil,such as cottonseed oil or olive-oil. This mixture should be used in awarm-state ray at a temperature of not less than 150 ut' Fahrenheit. Thewater in which the material is wash d and the bleaehing solutions shouldalso be used warm, the temperature being not less than 150.

The kinds of wood which I prefer to employ, when the fiber produced isto be used for the manufacture of paper, a e white pine and spruce, thebranches being preferred, as they contain less resin and are morereadily split.

Having thus described the best mode with which I am acquainted ofpracticing my improvement, what I claim as my invention, and

desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

. 1. The improved process of treating a vegetable material. by treatingit, first, in a dry state, with the gaseous substances produced by theaction of nit-ro'muriatic acid upon carbonate of lime and iron, or theirequivalents; second, in a wet state, with the same substances; and,third, with aeaustic alkali, substantially as Set forth.

2. The process of treating" the vegetable material which has beensubjected to the first two operations above recited with a mixture ofcaustic alkali and oil. substantially as above S913 forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this'llth day of1*ebrnary, A. l). 1865.

ANTONIO MEUCCT. Witnesses;

E. S. RHNWIGK.

W. L. BRNNEM.

